This Sunday a group of Rhino Africans took the short drive out to the picturesque Franschhoek Valley near Cape Town. This wine lands town is the original home of the South African wine industry and these days attracts tourists and wine seekers in their droves and is well known not only for it’s wine estates but also it’s old world charm and a number of gourmet restaurants.
We were hosted at Klein Genot Wine and Country Estate. In the Afrikaans language ‘Klein’ means small, strange then that there is nothing small about Klein Genot, nothing at all. Everything is done on the largest scale of style and class! From the moment you enter the hotel grounds you will know this is no ordinary hotel. Guests must first stroll through a fruit orchard (where they are encouraged to pick and eat as they wish during their time at the hotel) which supplies much of the Hotels fruit needs, at the end of the path is the back entrance to the hotel. It’s no ordinary back entrance though, step inside the cool interior of the Cape Dutch style house with it’s white walls, high gables and thatch roof and you will be greeted by your gracious hostess and the gentle sound of trickling water eminating from the large koi pond which is at the centre of the house, apparently entering from the back is a very Zen philosophy which is the most welcoming way to enter a house. Around the pond are arrayed the rooms which are sumptuous affairs, with egyptian cotton bedding, silk, hand painted fabrics and well chosen decor. The paintings on the walls are all original works collected over the years adding a noted touch of authenticity. Each room has doors which open up onto a private patio looking out onto the vineyard, the river, the dam with it’s two black swans or onto the river. In the background of any view from the hotel are the fantastic Franschhoek mountains! There are plenty of sit down areas and a very Zen like feel to the hotel and you will feel right at home and comfortable from the get-go. There are several sit down areas where you can enjoy a cup of tea or a glass or two of Klein Genot’s own wines. A small dining room is the perfect place to tuck into delicious home cooked breakfasts with much of the ingredients coming from the hotels orchard and vegetable garden, which are operated on organic principles.
Outside there are the two rivers flowing past the hotel with shady pathways for over a kilometre along their course. Here you will find benches to rest on and enjoy the serenity and solitude and the natural beauty around you. There are even a few small pet monkeys in a cage within the fruit orchard. You will also find the sunny pool and also the Spa. At the spa there is a comprehensive list of treatments you can indulge in, including some of the most relaxing massages ever! And while staying at Klein Genot you won’t miss out on all that Franschhoek has to offer as the hotel offers it’s own shuttle service around the valley, so you can pop off to any of the many wine estates and never worry about driving yourself home after, which is a blessing what with all the fantastic wine on offer in the area!
After exploring the hotel and being suitably impressed we headed across the vineyard to the recently completed Genot Restaurant and Winery. In the past Klein Genot has grown it’s own grapes on the property but was forced to produce it’s wines off the property, all this has changed with the completion of their state of the art cellar. Guests can opt in to a tour of the cellar with the winemaker himself who will explain the whole process from start to finish and then you will get to taste the results with a wine tasting. Upstairs is the outstanding restaurant where we Rhino Africans got down to what we do best (well best after planning superb safari holidays) and that’s eating and drinking. My caesar salad had an unusual twist of battered and deep fried anchovies and was mouth watering. And the sirloin steak with handmade gnochi that came after was simply superb! The whole lot and the decadent desert was washed down with more than a few glasses of the Genot wines and our day ended in a haze of pleasant sights, smells and tastes. As I stated earlier, nothing small about it at all!